Sea of Thieves will let you become a dog owner on September 9

I promised myself I'd stop buying Sea of Thieves pets after I spent actual money on a cat that I hate, but then Rare went ahead and just forced me to go back on that promise by announcing dogs. Of course I'll bloody get a dog. The pooches were unveiled at Gamescom and will be part of a larger update, Vaults of the Ancients, shown off today.

The titular vaults belong to the Gold Hoarders, who stored their loot inside them and then hid keys around the place. Now they're worried that was a bad idea, so they're looking for pirates to recover the keys and deliver them. That doesn't sound like something a pirate would do, so instead you can instead open the vaults yourself and grab all the loot.

Within the vaults are special treasures that can only be snatched if you find some medallions and solve a puzzle before the time runs out, so it's a fast-paced heist.

To help direct players towards activities, Rare's also chucking some 'mysterious notes' into the game. These can be accessed via the radial menu, and you'll be able to get recommendations about new events, voyages and NPCs. Expect some other accessibility improvements, too, like being able to make island banners less intrusive and improvements to the single stick mode.

Battletoads players will also get something extra. If you complete the first act of the Rare-published amphibion beat-em-up, then you'll unlock Battletoads-themed livery for your ship.

You'll be able to splash out on a dog and hit up the vaults when the update appears on September 9.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.